Facilitating Cross-Border Mobile Banking in Southern Africa

The use of mobile banking is an increasingly important component of national and regional economic development in Southern Africa. Mobile banking can help bring the large unbanked population into the formal financial sector, and can facilitate cross-border trade by easing the difficulty for small businesses and traders to make financial transactions. For mobile banking to reach its full potential in Southern Africa, however, African governments must establish more efficient regulatory frameworks and implement well-designed pilot programs to gain more insight into the challenges facing a full rollout of mobile banking.Mobile Banking, South Africa, Africa, development, trade, small-business, regualatory framework, pilot program, money, access to banking

Disagreement, concepts and convergence : a new theory of political realist legitimacy

This thesis argues for a novel conception of political realism as a theory of political legitimacy: the Dual Convergent Conception. The thesis is framed by the thought that one way of theorising about political legitimacy involves working out how reasonable people can achieve a stable political order so that, despite their profound moral differences, they may live together governed by principles they have sufficient moral reason to affirm from within their own point of view. I argue that this ultimately involves making a special sort of argument that takes reasonable disagreement about justice seriously: a Disagreement to Legitimacy argument. This is an argument with two parts. The first part involves finding the best explanation of reasonable disagreement about justice. After arguing against all extant explanations of reasonable disagreement, I develop a novel explanation: Diverse Packages Theory. This explanation makes use of the idea of metalinguistic negotiation and empirical work in developmental psychology on concepts, to argue that the best explanation of reasonable disagreement about justice is that reasonable people possess and use diverse concepts and conceptions of justice. The second part of the Disagreement to Legitimacy argument involves proposing, on the basis of Diverse Packages Theory's explanation, how all reasonable people can have sufficient moral reason to coordinate and continue coordinating over time on coercive principles or rules that order society's basic institutions. I then argue that extant conceptions of political liberalism and political realism cannot show how reasonable people can achieve this. I then argue that by combining certain elements of the political liberal view of convergent agreements, and the political realist focus on a contextually situated acceptance of coercively enforced political principles, the Dual Convergent Conception of political realism can show how reasonable people can achieve a stable political order

Mapping and functional characterization of proteolytic cleavage of murine kidney injury molecule-1

Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed apically on proximal tubule epithelia during acute kidney injury (AKI). KIM-1, as a phagocytic receptor, facilitates clearance of apoptotic cells (efferocytosis) from tubular lumen, thereby reducing inflammation and promoting repair. Human KIM-1 undergoes spontaneous and accelerated ectodomain shedding into urine and blood via metalloproteases; tumour necrosis factor-a converting enzyme (TACE/ADAM17) and a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10). Blood and urine KIM-1 are clinical AKI biomarkers, however, biological significance of KIM-1 shedding is unknown. To study this in vivo in mice, I first aimed to identify murine KIM-1 cleavage site and study its functional relevance in vitro. I202 was mapped out as the potential cleavage site and mutated to Q or A. Mutants showed significantly reduced ability to accelerate KIM-1 shedding and efferocytosis. ADAM10 mediated both baseline and accelerated shedding of murine KIM-1. Surprisingly, ADAM10-mediated KIM-1 shedding was required for efficient efferocytosis

Rawls, Dworkin and Inheritance in Liberal Democracy

This thesis examines whether Rawls or Dworkin's theory of justice is better at justifying restrictions on wealth inheritance in a liberal democracy. It sets out to argue that Dworkin's theory is better suited to guide a liberal democracy on justifying restrictions on wealth inheritance than Rawls's theory. This argument begins by proposing that the extant literature reflects a conflict between three intuitive judgements about what matters for the justice of restricting wealth inheritance in a liberal democracy. As a result the successful theory will have fewer disadvantages and more advantages in its impartial justification for restricting wealth inheritance to the liberal, opportunity and luck intuition. This thesis examines Rawls and Dworkin's theories because both theorists propose views that aim to be impartial and justifiable in a liberal democratic society. They both aim to cater to the associated concerns of protecting individual liberty and guaranteeing social equality. I examine both theories on this aim in three metrics. First I consider their internal coherency. In doing so I examine the coherency of Rawls's principles when they aim to treat social class and wealth inheritance differently. I then explore the coherency of Dworkin's prescriptions with the expectations individuals have in a liberal democracy. The second metric I consider is the ability of either theory to cater to each of the three relevant intuitions. This involves examining the scope of Rawls and Dworkin's theories and their competency in satisfying the concerns of the luck intuition. Lastly I consider the impartiality of the theories as the third metric. As such, I consider how well Rawls and Dworkin give equal consideration to the associated concerns of the opportunity and luck intuition

Rawls, Dworkin and Inheritance in Liberal Democracy

This thesis examines whether Rawls or Dworkin's theory of justice is better at justifying restrictions on wealth inheritance in a liberal democracy. It sets out to argue that Dworkin's theory is better suited to guide a liberal democracy on justifying restrictions on wealth inheritance than Rawls's theory. This argument begins by proposing that the extant literature reflects a conflict between three intuitive judgements about what matters for the justice of restricting wealth inheritance in a liberal democracy. As a result the successful theory will have fewer disadvantages and more advantages in its impartial justification for restricting wealth inheritance to the liberal, opportunity and luck intuition. This thesis examines Rawls and Dworkin's theories because both theorists propose views that aim to be impartial and justifiable in a liberal democratic society. They both aim to cater to the associated concerns of protecting individual liberty and guaranteeing social equality. I examine both theories on this aim in three metrics. First I consider their internal coherency. In doing so I examine the coherency of Rawls's principles when they aim to treat social class and wealth inheritance differently. I then explore the coherency of Dworkin's prescriptions with the expectations individuals have in a liberal democracy. The second metric I consider is the ability of either theory to cater to each of the three relevant intuitions. This involves examining the scope of Rawls and Dworkin's theories and their competency in satisfying the concerns of the luck intuition. Lastly I consider the impartiality of the theories as the third metric. As such, I consider how well Rawls and Dworkin give equal consideration to the associated concerns of the opportunity and luck intuition

Improving the Reproductive Health of Married and Unmarried Youth in India

Provides insights and lessons learned from a ten-year multi-partner research program to improve youth reproductive and sexual health in India. Includes recommendations to strengthen community and government efforts

Analisis Pelaksanaan Pemeriksaan Pajak Penghasilan Wajib Pajak Badan Pada Kantor Pelayanan Pajak Pratama Manado

Setiap peraturan perpajakan pasti mengalami kendala dalam penerapanya termasuk di dalamnya pemeriksaan pajak penghasilan. Pemeriksaan pajak penghasilan merupakan proses mencari keterangan atau bukti yang dilaksanakan oleh tim pemeriksa kepada wajib pajak (WP), yang sesuai aturan atau standar pemeriksaan untuk bertujuan menguji kepatuhan kewajiban wajib pajak dan/atau untuk tujuan lain. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pemeriksaan pajak penghasilan yang diterapkan KPP Pratama Manado dengan Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Republik Indonesia. Metode penelitian yang di gunakan adalah deskriptif kuantitatif dengan cara membagikan kusioner. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa pemeriksaan pajak penghasilan yang dilakukan oleh KPP Pratama Manado sudah sesuai dengan peraturan pemerintah yang berlaku yaitu; Peraturan Menteri Keuangan Republik Indonesia Nomor 184 /PMK.03/2015. Adanya pemeriksaan pajak penghasilan yang baik dan benar akan mengurangi resiko terjadinya pelangaran dalam pelaporan pajak penghasilan

Kualitas Pelayanan Sertipikasi Proyek Operasi Nasional Agraria (Prona) Di Kantor Pertanahan Kabupaten Donggala

This Research Target is know and analyse the Service Quality of Sertipikasi Project Operate For The Agraria National Agraria ( PRONA) in Land Ground Office of Donggala Regency Research Type is research qualitative with the informan selected by the four of people. Data collecting use the perception technique, interview and documentation. Technique analyse the data used by that is (1) Data collecting ( 2) Data Discount ( 3) Data Presentation ( 4) Verification ( 5) Conclusion. Theory used in this peneletian that is theory Parasuraman measuring Service quality: ( 1) Reliability ( 2) Responsivitas ( 3) Guarantee ( 4) Empathy ( 5) Direct Evidence. Pursuant to result of research and analysis done conducted by researcher in Office of Land Ground Office of Donggala Regency year 2015 concluded as follows: Quality of Project Service Operate For The National Agraria (PRONA) [in] Office of Land;Ground of Regency Donggala seen from factor of mainstay and factor Responsivitas not yet walked better, this matter is seen from result interview with informan in research location. Later;Then Quality of Project Service Operate For The National Agraria ( PRONA) in Office of Regency Land;Ground seen from factor of Guarantee and empathy factor and also from Direct Evidence factor have walked better. This matter is provable from result interview with informan in Donggala Regency Donggal

Structural Determinants for Allostery and Functional Switching in the E. coli Biotin Regulatory System

The Escherichia coli protein, BirA, functions as an allosteric transcriptional repressor and a metabolic enzyme. BirA catalyzes synthesis of its intermediate, bio-5'-AMP, from biotin and ATP. In its repressor function, binding of bio-5'-AMP promotes homodimerization that is a prerequisite to DNA binding at the biotin biosynthetic operon. As an enzyme, BirA forms a heterodimer with the biotin carboxyl carrier protein and transfers biotin to activate the first committed step of fatty acid synthesis. Based on structural data the unliganded repressor is characterized by four flexible loops that are ordered in the ligand-bound homodimers. Two of these loops participate in intermediate binding. The biotin binding loop (BBL) orders over biotin and participates directly at the dimer interface. The adenylate binding loop (ABL), located distal to the interface orders over the adenine ring. Single site mutations in a hydrophobic cluster of the ABL are investigated for small ligand binding and dimerization employing isothermal titration calorimetry and sedimentation equilibrium techniques. Results indicate that coupling between adenylate binding and dimerization is compromised in each mutant. Further, the ligand-induced disorder-to-order transition in the ABL is shown to be integral to the allosteric response. The ABL and BBL are also examined for their role in the structural mechanism of intermediate-induced protein:DNA interaction. Based on a structural model of the repressor:DNA complex, electrostatic interactions are predicted between the flexible loops and the DNA backbone. The DNA binding properties of mutants in the loops are assessed by the DNase I footprinting technique. Contrary to predictions, results indicate no direct participatation of the loops in the protein:DNA interaction. Finally, the same loops are inspected for their role in mutually exclusive, isoenergetic protein:protein interactions. Combined with mutant proteins previously examined in homodimerization, additional mutants in the flexible loops are investigated in alternate protein:protein interactions. The hetero- and homo-dimerization processes are monitored by inhibition DNase I footprinting titrations, a kinetic assay, and sedimentation equilibrium measurements. Results indicate an overlap in structural determinants important for both interactions. Further, "hotspots" have evolved that are exclusive to one but not the other protein:protein interaction that is associated with each function of BirA